English
plaice
Plaice comes from Old French plaiz, from Late Latin platessa ‘flatfish, plaice’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- ‘flat’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleth₂-‘flat’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pléth₂us‘flat, broad’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*plətús‘wide, broad’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλατύςplatús‘broad’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEplatessa‘flatfish, plaice’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400plaiz
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500playce‘The European plaice or a similar flatfish’
- Englishearliest quotation 1892plaice
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleth₂-‘flat’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pléth₂us‘flat, broad’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*plətús‘wide, broad’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλατύςplatús‘broad’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEplatessa‘flatfish, plaice’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400plaiz
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500playce‘The European plaice or a similar flatfish’
- Englishearliest quotation 1892plaice
Earliest quotation: 1892, Ernest R. Suffling, The Land of the Broads: “Plaice, and flat fish of all kinds, are taken…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- ‘flat’
flat, lateral, plateau, piazza, flan, plantain, 12 more
through Proto-Hellenic *plətús ‘wide, broad’
plaza, platitude, platen, 4 more
through Ancient Greek πλατύς ‘broad’
Today it means
noun Several similar marine flatfish of the righteye flounder family Pleuronectidae: Pleuronectes platessa (European plaice), commonly found in the North Sea and Irish Sea, with smooth brown skin and red or orange spots.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- / plaice